The Festival d'opéra de Québec 2014: More activities than ever before

This morning at the Palais Montcalm, Gaston Déry, President, and Grégoire Legendre, General and Artistic Director of the Opéra de Québec, unveiled the fourth edition of the Festival d'opéra de Québec, which will take place from July 23 to August 3.

This year the programming is characterised by an increase in activities and events dedicated to families and young children. Opera will be presented in traditional as well as unexpected ways.

The Last Judgement (Requiem de Verdi): modern, breathtaking staging

The Festival d'opéra will present The Last Judgement (Requiem de Verdi), on August 1, 3 and 4 at 8:00 p.m. in the salle Louis-Fréchette in the Grand Théâtre de Québec, as be part of the Notre-Dame-de-Québec basilica’s 350th anniversary celebrations in collaboration with the Institut Italien de Culture de Montréal. With modern, grandiose staging, the director Paolo Miccichè energizes this grand classic, previously acclaimed in Cannes and Moscow. The cast will include a double choir and an internationally renowned cast including the soprano Latonia Moore, the mezzo-soprano Eleni Matos, the tenor Manrico Tedeschi and the bass Luiz Ottavio Faria. With le Choeur de l'Opéra de Québec and the Orchestre symphonique de Québec

L'Enfant et les sortilèges: an opera fantasy for all audiences

Combining several music genres, including jazz, fox-trot, polka and waltz, L'Enfant et les sortilèges is one of Ravel’s most captivating works and has rarely been presented. In original staging by Philippe Soldevilla, this short performance is ideal to introduce youngsters to opera. L'Enfant et les sortilèges will be presented from July 24—27 inclusively at 8:00 p.m. at the salle Octave-Crémazie in the Grand Théâtre de Québec. The cast includes the marvellous mezzo-sopranos Julie Boulianne and Isabelle Henriquez, the sopranos Marie-Ève Munger and Pascale Beaudin, the tenor Aaron Ferguson, the bass Alexandre Sylvestre and many other Quebec artists.

Original French Version

The Violons du Roy opening concert

The festivities will open in grand fashion in the salle Raoul-Jobin at the Palais Montcalm July 23 at 8:00 p.m. Vivaldi et Haendel à l'opéra features the Violons du Roy under the direction of the renowned conductor Bernard Labadie to accompany the German soprano Sophia Brommer and the Australian tenor David Hansen in a program devoted to the two composers.

The return of key activities

Several events are returning for the Festival’s fourth edition including its association with the Grands Feux Loto-Québec, which will open the festivities with a performance combining famous opera excerpts with a fireworks display. The activity is at no cost as well as being visible from both shores of the Saint Lawrence River and will take place at Québec’s Vieux-Port on Saturday August 2 at 10:30 p.m. The Festival’s Brigade lyrique will welcome the public to the Vieux-Port de Québec beginning at 10:00 p.m.

Coproduced with the Société du Palais Montcalm and in collaboration with the mesure Première Ovation, the Brigade lyrique will be back to grace Québec’s main public spaces and parks with their presence for special no-cost performances from July 23—27 and from July 30 to August 3, at noon and 5:00 p.m. This year’s group members are Judith Bouchard, Élizabeth Veilleux, Keven Geddes and Marc-André Caron.

Festival goers are also invited once again to have an aperitif on July 28, 30 and 31 at 4:00 p.m. in the chapel at the Musée de l'Amérique francophone. In collaboration with Les Musées de la civilisation, Wagner à l'apéro will present several excerpts of the German composer’s work, hosted by the renowned musicologist George Nicholson.

Music al fresco will once again take place in the boroughs of Sainte-Foy-Sillery Tuesday July 29 at noon at the Maison Hamel-Bruneau.

Events for all audiences

In an effort to promote an approach to a wider public, the Festival d'opéra de Québec will produce two final activities. The first is a performance intended for children, La plus belle fleur du jardin imperial, inspired by ancient China and created by Nathalie Magnan. The production includes several young singers in a playful performance that can be seen on July 28, 29 and 30 at 7:00 p.m. at the Maison Jaune.

The other activity is an extraordinary journey through time that combines information with vocal performances. La grande histoire chantée de la musique lyrique offers samples of 10 opera genres from the Middle Ages up to modern times, including the baroque and French romantic periods. The evening will take place July 31 at 8:00 p.m. at the chapel at the Musée de l'Amérique francophone. With the participation of the soprano Sylvie Malenfant, the mezzo-soprano Élaine Rioux, the tenor Marc Duguay, the baritone-bass Réal Toupin and the commentator François Rioux.

Complete information concerning the Festival’s programming and schedule is available at www.festivaloperaquebec.com. Tickets are on sale now at the Opéra de Québec box office at 418 529-0688 or at 1 877 643-8131.

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